


It's All in the Eyes

by Rhinkiplierit



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossdressing, High School, M/M, Male Homosexuality, rhink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-13 03:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7961155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhinkiplierit/pseuds/Rhinkiplierit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p><br/>This story is set up in an AU with Teenage Rhett and Link.</p>
  <p>Rhett and Link have been friends since first grade but Link can no longer hold his feelings back.<br/>He manages to get his first date with Rhett but in an unexpected way. </p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	1. So it Begins

**Author's Note:**

> *Warning: Link's pronoun will be changing. Can you tell when?

 

* * *

  

She combed her hair, making sure there was no strand out of place. _Woah, I'm unrecognizable_! Link bit her lip. 

 

"I don't know if I can do this..."

 

"You don't have to."

 

Link sighed. She wanted to see him, but if she chose to go just in her normal skin, she'd be in serious trouble. Both, Rhett and her. 

 

"If you're worried about it not working, you shouldn't be. Nobody will recognize you!"

 

"What if he does?"

 

"He might... Just don't talk to him. This is to watch him play, isn't it? If you don't do this, you won't be able to observe him freely. 

 

"Okay... But would you go with me?"

 

"Sure thing, angel!" 

 

Link and Donnie walked to the courts at the school yard. The boys would be playing a game against some other school. It didn't matter which school it was. Rhett and his team would surely beat them. They always did. Their team was one of the best in the county, and it showed. Every game was always packed and this time was no exception. Link and Donnie barely managed to find a good spot to sit and observe the game. Link began looking for Rhett and when she finally found him, she smiled. 

 

Rhett was so concentrated, face focused, eyes determined. He danced around the court effortlessly, taking the ball away from one player, passing it to another, receiving it again, and throwing it to the hoop. Two points were added to the score and the crowd cheered. 

 

"Whoohoo!" Link stood up, fist in the air. She immediately realized she was the only one standing. She quickly sat down and looked down, cheeks flushed. 

 

"If you wanted to catch his attention, you did great.”

 

Link glanced to the court, only to see Rhett looking at her with a puzzled face. "Oh my..." Link's face went completely red and she quickly looked down again. Donnie couldn't help but smile. 

 

The game continued and the game was tied. There was only a few seconds left on the timer. Link had been observing Rhett and could see that he was getting tired. Every point they made had been evened out by the other team, which didn't seem to loose drive. Rhett's team, on the other hand, was obviously at their limit. The other team had the ball and as they ran to the home basket, Rhett glanced at Link. 

 

Link was ready to leap out of her seat, fists clenched in front of her. She knew Rhett could do it. Her eyes were fixed on him, hoping he would recognize her faith in him.

 

Rhett ran behind the player with the ball, who was stalled by two other home players. The player with the ball tried to choose where to pass the ball but gave enough time for Rhett to take it from him. He ran, dribbling the ball, making sure nobody took it from him. He was suddenly blocked, and saw nobody was there to receive his pass. He hesitated. 

 

"You can do it, Rhett!”

 

As everybody began closing in on Rhett, he went for the point, tossing the ball from the middle of the court. The gym went silent. Link stared as the ball flew towards the hoop. The opposing team ran towards it, to catch it in case it the ball bounced off the rim. Rhett gawked as the ball hit the backboard and then bounced into the hoop. The buzzer rang and the crowd went wild. Rhett was then swarmed by his teammates and as they tried picking him up, he looked towards Link's direction. 

 

"You did it." Link's words were drowned by the crowd and distance between them. She smiled and pumped her fist in the air as she joined the cheers. 

 

"I did it..." Rhett said, accepting the girl's words. "We did it!!" He cheered with his teammates, exhausted by the challenging game but ecstatic for the outcome. 

 

The spectators began walking down the bleachers. Donnie stood with Link as she stared at the players walk away towards the locker room. She saw Rhett horsing around and laughing with some of the players that had poured sport drink on him from the water cooler. He looked so happy. 

 

"Ready?"

 

"Ready."

 

Donnie and Link started making their way out of the gym. They began walking home while talking about the game. 

 

"I still don't understand why you didn't want to wait for him."

 

"Because! He is probably gonna go out with his friends and stuff. He doesn't have time to talk to some random chick he probably didn't even notice!" 

 

"Oh, he noticed."

 

"Whatever." Link grunted. It shouldn't matter. This whole disguise was only for this game, since it was the last of the season.

 

"Come on! What if he starts having a crush on you?" 

 

"So what if he gets a crush on me? This is not even me!" Link stopped and looked down at herself, running her fingers through her light brown wig. "I'm a fake... If he knew it was me, he'd probably stop talking to me."

 

Donnie stopped and looked at Link. She looked so hurt. She figured she had to say something but if felt like nothing would be appropriate. She sighed and put her arm around her, letting Link know she was there for her. 

 

"Hopefully he doesn't get a crush on me though. I might get jealous." They both laughed, feeling the tension drift away as they continued walking home. 

 

***

 

Rhett finished changing and walked back to the gym. Some custodians were cleaning the court, mopping the spilled sport drink, while the few people left on the bleachers were beginning to walk out of the gym. _She left_ , he thought. He began walking back towards the locker room, where a few of his teammates were waiting for him. 

 

"Ready to go get some pizza?"

 

"For sure." Rhett answered his teammate. 

 

 

The whole team was at the pizza place, some chatting and laughing while others were playing the arcade games. Rhett sat with Bevin, who was devouring the pizza in front of him. 

 

"I wonder who she is." Rhett put his elbows on the table and rested his hands on his chin. "How did she know my name?"

 

"Maybe Donnie told her." Bevin said as he was chewing.

 

"Donnie?"

 

Bevin swallowed his bite. "Yeah. That girl was with Donnie. Maybe it's her friend or something. You should ask her."

 

"Donnie..." Rhett said under his breath. _Maybe I can see her again_ , he though. He felt his face getting warm and smiled. He grabbed a slice a pizza and shoved it in his mouth, hoping it would help hide his emotions. 

 

***

 

The next day, Rhett was eating lunch as Link sat next to him in the cafeteria room.

 

"Rhett! I heard you guys won the game epically."

 

"Yeah, we did! You should've been there."

 

"Sorry man. You know I'm not into basketball."

 

"I know. It's okay. It was just a lot of fun." Rhett looked at his food and paused. He thought about the girl. He thought about telling Link about her and asking if he knew who she was or if he knew if Donnie knew anything. He decided not to. Lately, they had been drifting apart. Link had a completely different schedule and he was now playing basketball. Besides, Link didn't tell him everything that happened in his life either so it wasn’t like he was hiding anything.

 

"You okay? You haven't touched your food for about a minute." Link looked concerned. 

 

"What? No!" He laughed it off. "I was just thinking about the game. I can't wait for the next season." _Would she come again_ , he wondered. 

 

Rhett finished eating, mocking Link for still having half of his meal left. He dismissed himself from he table and began looking for Donnie. He knew she was a bit of a nerd so he figured the library would be her favorite place. When he arrived at the library, he was disappointed to not find her there. He wandered aimlessly around the school, wondering were she could be. He gave up and began walking towards his class and as he looked up, he saw Donnie come out of the girl's side of the restrooms. 

 

"Donnie!" Rhett darted towards her. She stopped and waited for Rhett to catch up to her. "Hey, Donnie. Umm... You busy?"

 

"Not really.  Why?"

 

"I wanted to talk to you, ask you about something."

 

"Oh," Donnie said confused, feeling nervousness set in. "What's up?" _I hope it’s not about Link_ , she thought. 

 

"Umm... You went to the game yesterday, right?"

 

_Shoot_. "Yes. Good game, by the way."

 

"Thanks," Rhett chuckled. He was starting to get nervous too. He rarely talked to Donnie and now, he was going to ask her about the girl that was with her. He started wondering if he would creep her out but he didn't care. _I have to know_... "I wanted to, uh know about… the girl that was with you."

 

"Okay?"

 

"Who is she?"

 

"Why do you want to know?" 

 

"Uh..." Why did he want to know? “Well-” He began blushing and felt embarrassed. He wanted to know who she was. He had never seen her before and yet, she seemed like someone he already knew. "She looked familiar..." 

 

Donnie looked at Rhett, who was obviously uncomfortable with her not giving him straight answers. "She's my cousin. She's not from here though so you might've confused her." 

 

"Oh." Rhett felt a slight pain in his chest. The girl suddenly seemed out of his reach. He had hoped to talk to her and if he felt she was cool with him, maybe he could ask her out.

 

"Why? Do you like her?"

 

"How would I know! I don't even know her!" Rhett said quickly, defending himself, feeling like his mind had been read. 

 

"I know but she's cute, right?"

 

Rhett looked down at his shoes, wondering if he had that written on his face too. 

 

"Look, she seemed interested, so I can see if she wants to talk with you."

 

"She was?" Rhett squealed, his voice betrayed by his excitement. He cleared his throat and said, "I mean, that'd be cool." His heart was racing. 

 

"Maybe tomorrow? It'll be Saturday so she should be free. I'll give you call and let you know." 

 

The bell rang and Donnie started walking to class.  Rhett saw her walk away hoping her cousin said yes to this blind meeting. He began walking to his class when he realized he hadn't even asked what her name was. He felt stupid for not asking, especially knowing that she knew _his_ name. 'She seemed interested' Donnie said in his head. He smiled again and ran to class, laughing. 

 

***

 

"You did what!?" Donnie was at Link’s, saying that she needed to talk to him. He felt it sounded serious and after Donnie had told him about Rhett asking about ‘her’, he realized it was totally serious. "I can't meet with him! Not like that!" Link dug his face in his hands, wishing the earth could eat him alive. 

 

"Why not? I thought you'd be happy that he noticed..." She said innocently. She couldn't help but feel amused by the whole ordeal. 

 

"I- I am happy but..." Link sighed louder.

 

"Look, he doesn't suspect a thing. He thinks you're my cousin and that you're not from here."

 

Link kept grunting, shaking his head and trying to ignore Donnie's words. Why had Rhett not said anything during lunch?

 

"You can just meet him tomorrow and tell him you're moving away or something.  If he asks me, I'll tell him the same thing."

 

Link was still shaking his head but was now thinking about Donnie's 'plan'. It made sense. His head stopped shaking, his face still hidden by his hands. 

 

"It would be like a date with Rhett." 

 

Link looked up at Donnie with wide eyes. _A date with Rhett_ , he thought, blood rushing to his cheeks. He covered his face again, this time from excitement and shyness, rather than fear. "Gosh..."

 

"Come back tomorrow at around five. I'll fix you up so you can enjoy your date with _Rhett_."

 

"Stop saying that!" He backhanded Donnie's shoulder, feeling a mixture of frustration and bliss. 

 

"Ow!" She laughed. "You shouldn't be hitting the person who's fulfilling your dreams."

 

"UGH!!" Link let himself lay on the floor, spreading his arms and legs across. He felt that he could float away but was afraid of falling at the same time. 

 

They continued talking and laughing for a while until Donnie left. She had assured him everything would be okay but he sat in his bed with a knot still in his stomach. After a while, he laid in bed, thinking about how wonderful, and equally horrible, the date could go. He closed his eyes and, as he tried to clear his mind, he fell asleep. 

 

Meanwhile, once at home, Donnie kept her word and called Rhett. 

 

"She said _yes_?" Rhett could barely hide his excitement. 

 

"Yeah. She said she'd wait for you here at my house. You can pick her up at six. Sound good?"

 

"Yes! Of course..." 

 

"Great!" _Perfect_ , she thought. "Well, it's late so I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

 

"Oh- okay! See you tomorrow!" Rhett smiled as he spoke. He hung up the phone and gave himself two thumbs up. As he walked upstairs to his room, he realized he forgot to ask for her name again. "Darn it!" _I'll just ask Donnie tomorrow_ , he thought. He thought about the girl while getting ready for bed. As he laid in bed, he thought about where he could take her and how much of his allowance he should take. _All of it_ , he thought. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was going to get the opportunity to meet the girl who helped him win the game. He smiled and closed his eyes, falling asleep. 


	2. The Short Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Link to prepare for his date. On the other hand, will Rhett enjoy the date with 'Donnie's cousin'? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: Link's pronoun will be changing. Can you tell when?

 

* * *

 

Link knocked at Donnie's house. Her mom came and opened the door and after exchanging greetings, she took him to Donnie's room. Donnie was smiling as Link entered the room. 

 

"Ready Link?" 

 

Link closed the door to the room and looked at the light brown wig and clothes on the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed, "I'm ready."

 

Donnie smiled and motioned him to sit next to her. She began prepping his face. First she put on moisturizer and then moved to all the makeup stuff he didn't really know about. Never did Link imagine that he would be wearing foundation and concealer, let alone eye shadows. Half an hour had passed when Donnie stopped working on his face and stepped away, examining him. She smiled. _Perfect_. 

 

"Do I look okay?" Link shifted in his seat. He hadn't seen himself yet, since he was only allowed to look in a mirror until he was completely changed. 

 

"Link, you look way better than okay and haven’t even changed.” She grabbed the clothes she had placed in the bed. "Here, my little angel. Change." 

 

Linked walked to the little walk-in closet Donnie had in her room. He closed the curtain door of the closet and began taking his shirt off. He wondered if Rhett would like what he was wearing. _What kind of style does he like_? _Does he even have a preference_? He took the top Donnie had chosen for him. It was a white turtleneck, that would be under a blue denim jacket. He was also wearing tight black jeans and some black Converse high-tops.  When he came out of the closet, Donnie handed him some pearl clip earnings for him to wear. He put them on and grabbed the wig, handing it Donnie for her to secure it on his head. 

 

Link was finally allowed to see 'herself'. Once again, she looked like a totally different person. She ran her fingers through the wig. 

 

"You're a natural, aren't you?" Donnie said, happy at her results. 

 

"I hope so..." Link said, hoping Rhett wouldn't recognize her. 

 

"I did more makeup on you this time and figured the earnings would add a nice touch." Donnie got closer to Link and smiled. "You look way more feminine than last time, just like an angel."

 

Link blushed, hoping Rhett would think the same. The phone suddenly rang and a few seconds later, Donnie's mom said it was for her. Donnie walked out of the room while Link looked back at the mirror. For once she was glad to have such a slender and frail build. Except for her broad shoulders hidden under the oversized jacket, Link looked very girly. She was slightly taller than most girls but Rhett was way taller, so her height wouldn't be a problem. Donnie came in the room, smiling widely. 

 

"Rhett's on his way."

 

Link felt her stomach turn. It was almost time. She sat on the bed and began breathing deeply while closing her eyes. She felt Donnie next to her putting her arm on her shoulder. 

 

"You'll be okay. Just be your... uh, girly-self." Donnie said with a laugh, no mockery in her voice. 

 

"Thanks." Link chuckled. She had always been the sensitive one of the two so she figured she would be okay. Donnie left the room again, only to bring Link a glass of water. She drank it and asked Donnie for reassurance. 

 

"You'll be fine! It'll be the best date ever!" Donnie gave Link a black side purse. In it, she had packed a compact powder, blush, lipgloss, a pack of gum, and some hand lotion. Link added some of her own allowance in a zipper inside the purse and her hand sanitizer. 

 

"Okay. I think I'm ready," Link began saying as the doorbell rang. She glanced at Donnie with fear in her eyes. 

 

"It's show time." Donnie said as she held Link's shoulders, smiling and hoping Link would remain confident. The two walked towards the front door. Rhett stood behind the screen door of the porch, looking at the floor and waiting. Donnie gestured at Link, who began walking to the door, realizing she was on her own now. 

 

Link opened the screen door and closed it behind her as she walked next to Rhett. She looked up at him and smiled coyly. 

 

"Hi," she said softly, waving her hand close to her as if to not hit Rhett. 

 

Rhett, who had been staring at her, said, "Hey!" He immediately looked down, realizing how high-pitched his voice had sounded. _Stupid voice_ , he thought. 

 

"You're Rhett… right? My cousin said you wanted to meet me." Link's hands kept fidgeting, eyes not being able to find anything on the floor to focus on.

 

"Uh, yeah! I uh, do you... Would you like to hang out? We can go get some ice cream or a shake if you'd like." Rhett was rubbing the back of his neck, slouching, hoping he wouldn't seem intimidating to the cute girl in front of him. 

 

Link looked up at Rhett, noticing how she wasn't the only one feeling nervous. She smiled at Rhett and said, "I'd like that…”

 

Rhett saw her shy smile and couldn't help but smile as well, his cheeks blushing. He turned and ran to his bike. As he picked it up, he asked, "Are you okay with me taking you on my bike, or would you like to walk?" 

 

"The bike is okay... If I can ride on the back. Is that okay?" Link feared sitting at the horns knowing her clumsy self would be prone to falling and making a scene. 

 

"Of course! You can even tell me if I'm going too fast for you." Rhett smiled at Link, who seemed relieved. 

 

"Thank you, Rhett." 

 

"No problem... Uh..." Rhett began blushing, realizing he had forgotten to ask for her name. Link noticed and smiled. 

 

“Umm… Angel.” Rhett looked at her, confused by what she had said. "My name. It's Angel." Link blushed and smiled, feeling ridiculous for choosing such a cheesy name. _Darn you_ , Donnie.

 

"Oh! Angel..." He said with a smile as her name flowed out of his lips. _Such a fitting name_ , he thought. 

 

Rhett got on his bike, waiting for Angel to get on. She followed his lead and got on the back pegs, holding on to Rhett's thin but sturdy shoulders. She began blushing as he began riding into town. 

 

"Let me know if I'm going too fast for you. If you feel like you're going to fall, you can... uh, put your arms around me..." He blushed and cleared his throat. "It's up to you, of course."

 

"Thanks." Angel said with a big grin on her face. She noticed he began pedaling faster, making her feel unsteady. She thought about telling him to slow down but decided to take Rhett's advice and put her arms around him. She clasped her hands in front of Rhett's chest, feeling the warmth of his back on her cold cheek. Rhett felt her warmth on his back too and smiled, pedaling even faster. They both struggled to hold back their happiness and began laughing quietly, then louder. 

 

"You okay back there," he said after their laughter died down. He felt so alive and wondered if she felt the same. 

 

“Yeah." She said as her arms held Rhett slightly tighter. He seemed to noticed because he began shifting in his seat, sitting straighter and puffing his chest. Angel suddenly felt scared. "Am I hurting you?"

 

"NO!" Rhett yelled. He was hoping that his shifting would cause her to hold even tighter but felt stupid after realizing that he had only startled her. "I just... I- you're okay. Just hold on tight. I don't want you to fall.”

 

“Oh," Angel smiled and held on tighter. 

 

They finally arrived the small diner in the outskirts of town. He hoped there wouldn't be a lot of people there that might interrupt their... _Date_? He tried to hide his quickly red face by putting his bike on the rack and locking it, facing his back to Angel. She herself was blushing, realizing this diner would be very quiet, allowing them to have no distractions. She looked away from him, hoping her natural color would come back. 

 

"Ready for some ice cream?" Rhett said bashfully. 

 

Angle nodded and followed Rhett as he walked inside the diner. He sat in a booth next to a window, hoping the scenery would be a nice touch. Angel sat across from him as she looked out the window. The sunset creeping through the thin forest made the scenery very pretty. 

 

“What will you two kids be havin'?" Said a waitress.

 

The two children looked at their menu. Rhett ordered a cookies-and-creme shake and asked for caramel drizzle. Angel was about to order a vanilla shake, when something else caught her eye. She ordered a slice of apple pie a la mode and some water. Rhett looked at her, wondering if she didn't like shakes. Maybe she had only agreed to a shake to be nice... _What if she hates shakes_? Rhett's uneasiness began catching Angel's attention. 

 

"I'm sorry... I know I said I was getting a shake but that pie looked really good to me..." Angel looked down, hoping he really didn't mind. 

 

"Oh no! As long as you get what you want!" Rhett felt relieved, glad that she got what she really wanted. "I'd rather you honestly enjoy your treat instead of just pretending." 

 

Angel looked into his eyes and smiled. She had forgotten how sincere he could be and that's what she loved about him. Rhett locked eyes with her as well and a feeling of familiarity overcame him. He was embarrassed by the kind blue eyes staring into him but at the same time, he felt comfortable. They both realized they had been gawking at each other and then glanced down, blushing, all in synchrony. 

 

The waitress came back with orders in hand. She handed Rhett his shake and Angel her pie. The two began eating their 'meal' and remained in a comfortable silence. They would glance at each other once in a while, smile, and continue eating. 

 

"I'm glad I chose the pie. Thank you." Angel said as she finished the last spoonful of vanilla ice cream. 

 

Rhett had also finished and said, "Thanks for what? You ordered it." He laughed lightly. 

 

"For inviting me..." She looked down, trying to hide her smile. 

 

Rhett blushed again. "Well, thank _you_ for accepting my invite." After a short pause, he asked, "Would you like to walk at the park?" 

 

"Yes. That sounds nice."

 

They walked up to the register and as the waitress rang them up, Rhett saw Angel pull out money from her side bag. 

 

"Woah, hey! You can't pay!" Rhett said, slightly offended.

 

"It's okay, Rhett. I ended up ordering something other than the shake so I should pay for my own pie."

 

"Wha-" Rhett felt his ego slightly crushing as Angel handed the waitress the money. 

 

"Honey, you let this young gentleman treat ya. It wouldn't be lady-like to ignore his gesture."

 

Angel looked shocked by the waitress's words. She looked at Rhett, hoping he wouldn't think she was being crass. "I'm... I'm sorry... I-" 

 

"It's okay, Angel!" Rhett put his hand on her shoulder, hoping he could comfort her. "I invited you so it's my treat. Please don't feel bad." He handed the money to the waitress, only glancing at her and then returning his focus on Angel. She looked so ashamed but, although he was happy he was able to treat her, he began to feel guilty for putting her in such an awkward position. 

 

"Don't worry honey," the waitress told Rhett. "She's just such a good girl that she doesn't know how to react to such a fine young man." She winked at Rhett and then looked at Angel. "Sweetie, don't be ashamed. Just keep being good to this boy."

 

Angel nodded and smiled weakly at the waitress. 

 

"Be good, you two!" The waitress shouted as the young pair walked out the diner. 

 

Angel remained quiet and timid as Rhett got his bike ready. He looked at how distracted she seemed and feared that the previous situation had offended her. 

 

"Hey, don't listen to the lady. She was just trying to be nice." 

 

"No, she's right. You've been so nice to me and I almost ruined it." Angel felt guilty. Had it been the other way around, she would've probably felt insulted. She looked up, unable to see Rhett in the eyes. 

 

"Hey!" Rhett impulsively grabbed Angel’s hands and held them up between the two. "You've been nice to me too! You accepted coming with me, without even knowing if I would be lame. You tried to be responsible and pay for yourself." Angel had been so taken by surprise that she just stared at him, entranced as he spoke. He kept looking into her eyes and said in a serious and honest tone, "No matter what, I will always think you're nice."

 

Angel could feel a knot forming in her throat. She knew Rhett was very nice but had not realized how kind and gentle he could be. She began feeling moved my Rhett's sincerity and then smiled at him. 

 

"Thank you," she said quietly. She began putting her hands down, still held by Rhett. He realized his hands were grasping hers tightly and immediately let them go. 

 

"I'm sorry." He said, completely red. He felt so embarrassed because of his clammy hands and thought that for sure, he had made her feel uncomfortable. 

 

"No, it's okay. Your hands were warm."

 

They both stood there, looking at the bike for a few seconds. Rhett then got on his bike and looked at Angel, nodding. Angel got the hint and held on to him from across his torso. He began riding towards the park when he heard Angel speak.

 

"I think we should call it a night, Rhett." 

 

Rhett's heart sank. “Oh, I- okay... I'll take you back home then."  He turned his bike and began riding back to Donnie's place. The two remained silent on the ride back. Rhett kept feeling his chest get tighter, feeling rejected and somewhat humiliated. _Did I say something wrong_? He had just told this girl how great she was and now, she just wanted to go back home. _Maybe I was too forward_ … He had been so excited to continue talking to Angel but now felt as if he had let her down. _So much for that_ , he thought. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This concludes chapter two of this story! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I should be posting the third chapter next week. Again, let me know what you think! 


	3. Back to Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link talks to Donnie about the date. What's next? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Warning: Link's pronoun will be changing. Can you tell when?

 

* * *

 

 

When they arrived at Donnie's place, Angel got off the bike and waited for Rhett as he leaned it against a wall. Once the bike was secure, she walked towards Rhett and looked at him. 

 

"Rhett. Thank you so much for today. I have not had this much fun in a long time."

 

Rhett looked down with a small smile on his face as he replied, "I had a lot of fun too."

 

"I can't wait for next time, when we go to the park."

 

Rhett's face shot up as he looked at Angel with wide eyes. She was smiling, her blue eyes glistening. He felt his heart racing as he began grinning at her. "Me neither!"

 

"I'll let Donnie know when I'm back, so she can let you know. Is that okay?"

 

"Of course!"

 

Angel smiled and began walking to the door. She looked back at Rhett before walking in and waved at him. 

 

Rhett waived back at her, his grin still shining as she stepped inside and the door closed behind her. He ran to his bike and began pedaling, smiling and laughing all the way home. 

 

***

 

Angel stepped inside and leaned on the closed door behind her. She sighed and smiled. 

 

"Link! You're back! How did it go?" Donnie ran and grabbed Link by the hands, guiding them to her room. "You need to tell me everything. Why are you here already? I thought you guys would be out longer!"

 

"Calm down, Donnie! I'll tell you all about it in a bit. Let me just use the restroom." Link laughed out loud. 

 

"Fine, but you better hurry up!" Donnie walked to her room, waiting for Link to clean up. 

 

Once in the restroom, Link took off the wig. He washed his face thoroughly, making sure there were no traces of mascara or eyeshadow left on his face. He patted his face dry, removed the clip earrings, and looked at himself in the mirror. Only Angel's bright blue eyes remained on his face. _She's gone_ , he thought. He brushed his fingers through his hair, trying to fix the flattened mess left behind by the wig.He picked up his things, knowing that if he didn't hurry up, he wouldn't hear the end of it. He hurried to Donnie's room, where she was waiting for him, sitting on the bed with her legs crossed. 

 

"So?"

 

Link sat on the edge of the bed, his right side facing her. He looked down at his hands resting on this legs. Then he smiled. 

 

"Tell me!" Donnie threw a pillow at Link and he laughed. 

 

"I don't know how to start!" He laughed again. "It was great. That's all I can really say."

 

"Why did it end so quick then?"

 

"Because! It was getting late…"

 

“Oh my goodness, Link! Live a little!”

 

“I did! Donnie, it was such an amazing night…”

 

“Did he look like he was having fun too?”

 

“I think so. We laughed and smiled a lot.”

 

“I’m so happy for you, Link.” Donnie tossed another pillow at Link. “Happy now?”

 

“Very. I can’t wait for next week! He said that we’d walk around the park next time.” He smiled and giggled a little, feeling elated.

 

“Wait- what!? Next time!?"

 

"Don't be so loud!"

 

"Link... I thought this was a one time thing..." Donnie got serious all of the sudden. “You can’t- you can’t keep doing this…”

 

"Why not! You should've seen his face, Donnie! He was so happy when I mentioned we could meet again!" Link looked up at the ceiling. Deep down, he knew she was right. “ _I_ was so happy…”

 

"Imagine his face when he knows who Angel really is…"

 

Link leered at Donnie. "I don't have to because he doesn't have to know." 

 

"I know, Link. I just-" Donnie looked down, feeling remorseful. She had been the one who had suggested all of this in the first place... “Please be careful."

 

Link kept staring at her, his anger being replaced by hopelessness. "I had such a good time, Donnie. I've always had a great time with Rhett but this was different. His gestures… they were different, softer. His eyes were more gentle.” Link looked at the ceiling again, trying to clear the knot forming in his throat. “I saw a side of Rhett I had never seen before..." His eyes began watering. He gulped loudly and took a deep breath. "Just one more time, Donnie. I need your help one more time. Then I'll tell him that we won't be able to see each other anymore." Donnie looked at Link sulking, heavy with misery. She reached over to Link and hugged him, one arm across his back and the other his chest. At first, he made no movement but then he began shaking. She felt his tears on her arm and she held him as he quietly sobbed.

 

"Just one more time." She said, knowing that he had understood that she had not meant to sound selfish. She understood Link's feelings for Rhett but did not want either of them to get hurt. She knew it would be painful for Angel and Rhett to stop seeing each other but it would not be nearly as painful for Rhett to find out that his best friend had been deceiving him. The possibility of their friendship being ruined was something Link would not be able to handle and they both knew it. So Link just sat there, crying, while Donnie held him, waiting for him to be ready. Finally, Link's weeping turned into relaxed breathing. He began shifting in Donnie's arms, letting her that he was okay. She gave him some space as he cleaned his face with some tissues. He sat silent for a few seconds and then looked at Donnie. 

 

"Thank you." He said weakly. 

 

“Link-" Donnie had no words. She wanted to encourage him by reminding him of his next meeting with Rhett but she knew it wouldn’t help. After all, it would also be the last meeting with him as Angel.

 

“It’s okay. I’m okay…” Link got up and began walking towards the door. “Again, thank you, Donnie.” He walked out of the room, Donnie walking behind him, leaving space as if to not disturb his thin peace of mind. “Bye Donnie.”

 

“Bye… Link.”

 

***

 

Rhett had been waiting for Donnie to contact him all week. Various times, he had seen her with Link, walking to class and thought about asking her about Angel but he didn’t want to seem desperate, or creepy. He thought about the last date and how well it had gone. He wondered if he should take her out to eat this time. He didn’t have much money left, but it would probably be fine if they shared. _Would she be okay with that_? _I don’t want her to think I’m cheap_ … _but I am broke_. Rhett began feeling frustrated with himself.

 

“Rhett!” Bevin yelled at his dumbfounded friend. “I’m trying to talk to you, man. What’s wrong?”

 

“I’m sorry Bevin, I was thinking about something.”

 

“No duh! I was going to ask if you’ve seen Link? I needed help on some homework but he’s not here.”

 

Rhett looked around and noticed he wasn’t at the table. If he really thought about it, he had only seen Link for a few moments during lunch this week. “No… I haven’t, actually.” Link was a very slow eater and, even though he was the first one at the table, Rhett always finished his food first. Lately, though, Link was already done eating and was leaving by the time Rhett arrived at the table. He began wondering where he was going afterwards. 

 

_Maybe that’s why I’m on edge_ , he thought. Apart from feeling nervous about his date with Angel, he hadn’t talked to Link about it. They had always talked about everything they had problems with. Normally, Link would’ve given him some advice and reassurance. _I should’ve told him about her_ , he thought. Would he be offended if he knew he hadn’t told him about her? Rhett’s mind began racing, feeling guilty for not telling his best friend about the girl that was driving him crazy. _I’ll tell him today_ , he thought. Lately, their different schedules was marking a gap between the two but he wasn’t going to let that be a problem. He would just need to try harder. He ate his food quickly and walked out of the cafeteria. He began looking for Link, keeping an eye out for Donnie too, in case she wanted to talk to him.

 

After a few minutes, he saw Link walking towards the library. He began running towards him, when Donnie came out of the nowhere, almost being ran over by him.

 

“Ah!” Donnie cried, covering her face with her arms.

 

“Donnie!” Rhett stopped in his tracks, making sure she was okay, then glanced at Link. He was too far to catch up now…

 

“Gosh Rhett! Watch where you’re going!” She brushed her shirt off and checked her hair, looking annoyed. “I was looking for you.”

 

“You were?” Rhett looked down at her quickly, hoping it was about Angel.

 

“Yes. I talked to Angel and she says she wants to meet with you tomorrow. It would be the same as last time: you can pick her up and drop her off at my place.”

 

“Okay, I can do that!”

 

“One thing Rhett…” Donnie looked down for a few seconds and glared at him. “You need to treat her right. Don’t mess around.”

 

Rhett looked at her, panicked, “Wha- Did she say something? I thought we had fun… I- was she upset?”

 

“No, but… She really likes you Rhett. Tomorrow has to be really special.”

 

“I really like her too, Donnie!” Rhett was offended by Donnie’s words, “I know last time wasn’t great, but it was special for me. If she didn’t think that, then-”

 

“I didn’t say that!” Donnie clenched her fists as her head and eyes shifted to the left. “She was really happy, Rhett. I just…”

 

“I’m not messing around with her. I really like her. I want her to be my girlfriend.” Rhett blushed, realizing what he had just blurted out. He had not expected it but he truly meant it. “I really like Angel.” Images of her and her smile flooded Rhett’s mind. “She makes me feel… at home…” He thought about her kind blue eyes and how comfortable they made him feel. “I know it sounds cheesy but it’s the truth.”

 

“She’ll be glad to know that.” Donnie smiled sadly. _Rhett has no idea of what was going on_. Link had been cruel but he too was suffering. There was no winning side in this circumstance.

 

“Wha- You better not tell her!” Rhett looked so shaken by the thought that Donnie couldn’t help laughing.

 

“I’m not going to, you moron! _You_ better though. Tomorrow, at six!” 

 

The bell rang and Donnie began walking to class. Rhett did the same, wondering what she had told Donnie. _Will she want to be my girlfriend_? He tried to figure out how he should ask Angel to be his girlfriend. He began feeling the need to talk to Link as soon as possible. _He’ll be able to help me for sure_ , he thought. 

 

School finally ended, everyone rushing out of their classes for the weekend. Rhett, however, stood under a tree, waiting for Link. He hadn’t walked home with him for a while now due to basketball practice but that was over now. He waited for about thirty minutes when he saw Donnie and Link talking. They both noticed him and they stopped. They exchanged a few words and when Donnie said goodbye to Link, she waved at Rhett as she walked away. Link then walked up to Rhett.

 

“Hey Rhett.”

 

“Hey Link! I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

 

"Yeah? I guess it has been a while."

 

There was an awkward silence and Rhett began feeling embarrassed. Maybe this whole thing with Angel was making him more sensitive. 

 

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," said Link, unamused. 

 

"Woah, hey! Hold on!" 

 

"I have to go Rhett. I... I have somewhere to go."

 

"You're not going home?"

 

"Not right now.” Link kept looking down, uncomfortable and maybe even annoyed.

 

"Oh," was all Rhett could respond as he kept looking at Link. _Am I being too pushy_?

 

"I'll see you later man." Link finally said as he walked hurriedly away. Rhett just stared at him as he walked away. _You suck_ , he thought to himself. He could tell Rhett wanted to talk about about Angel with him, maybe even ask for advice but he didn’t know if he’d be able to take it. He really wanted to have another date with Rhett, even if that meant pretending to be a girl, but he hated being so dishonest to his best friend. _Just one more time_ , he justified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third chapter is done! I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I'm hoping to finish the fourth chapter next week. Let me know what you think! 

**Author's Note:**

> And this is the first chapter of my first Rhink fanfic! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
> This should be a short story so I will be updating it soon. Let me know what you think! 


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